US Ban on Foreign-Made Robots: Winners and Losers

The US Federal Communications Commission has added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to its Covered List, effectively banning a wide range of robots made abroad, including Chinese humanoid and four-legged robots as well as newer robot vacuum cleaners. The FCC cited previously discovered cybersecurity vulnerabilities in robots made by Chinese companies as justification for the ban. The agency is required by law to follow national security determinations, and the White House convened an interagency body that identified foreign-made robots as a risk to US national security and the safety of US persons.